Check out my Interview with Julie Eshbaugh the author of Ivory and Bone. It was truly a delight to have her on the blog and find out some inside details on the cover and symbol and how it ties in to the story. Read below to find out what Julie had to say about her book that is not in the synopsis with out spoilers. Make sure to also go to the bottom and enter the giveaway.

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along.

Julie, I am so excited to have you stop by today. Ivory and Bone sounds amazing and I cannot wait to read it!

Thank you for having me!

Can you tell us somethings about Ivory and Bone that is not in the synopsis, without spoilers?

One thing I can tell you is that the book’s title and the image on the cover are all explained in the book. I don’t want to give anything away, but I can say that it all ties to a symbol, not just of a clan but of status and it’s a physical reminder of the past.

I can also share a bit about my favorite scene, without really giving anything away. The scene happens in the final third of the book, and it involves Kol traveling by kayak through a storm. I love the scene because it’s both physically and emotionally intense. I won’t say any more about it, but you’ll know it when you get there!

What was the hardest scene to write and the most enjoyable?

There are action scenes in the book that get very chaotic, and those were probably the hardest to write. I wanted the reader to feel the confusion the characters were feeling, without actually being confused. That was a hard balance to find.

The most enjoyable scene to write was definitely the scene I just mentioned above, where Kol fights his way through a storm on the sea in a small kayak. That scene has a lot of internal monologue for Kol, and his thoughts and feelings just flowed. I felt like that scene wrote itself, and it was so fun to just let it pour onto the page.

Was any character or situation inspired by anyone you know or anything that has happened in your life?

There are a lot of family relationships in the story—Kol has three brothers and of course his parents—and I’m sure my relationships with my own family influenced that quite a bit. Of course, I couldn’t write a romance without my own relationship with my husband having some influence. Being in love makes it easier to write about love.

What are your 5 favorite books of all time or at this moment? What 5 books are you most looking forward to reading in 2016?

My “favorite books of all time” list would probably include the following (though they wouldn’t always be the top five):

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Atonement by Ian McEwan

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

The five books I’m most looking forward to reading in 2016 would include:

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows, Cynthia Hand, and Brodi Ashton

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

What can we expect next from you? Do you want to write in any other genres?

The next thing from me will be the second book in the IVORY AND BONE trilogy, and then Book Three! After that I can’t say for certain. As far as writing in another genre, I certainly read in a lot of different genres, but my writing seems to stay in the fantasy/sci-fi realm. Of course, I love to write historical, too, and I love any combination of those genres.

Just A Few Fun Lightning Questions

Coffee or Tea

Coffee

Spicy or Sweet

Sweet

Introvert or Extrovert

Introvert (I’m actually right about in the middle! I’m very outgoing, but I’m also very private, and I love to be alone.)

Pets or No-Pets

Pets!

E-Book or Print Copy (what format you prefer to read)

Print copy (though I read both)

Paper or Print (which do prefer to use to write on)

I type my manuscripts on the computer, but I edit on paper!

Thank you Julie for stopping by and answering a few questions for us! 😉

Julie Eshbaugh is the author of the upcoming Ivory and Bone (HarperCollins, 2016). She used to have trouble staying in one spot, having lived in places as varied as Utah, France, and New York City. Julie eventually returned home to the Philadelphia area, where she now lives with her husband, son, cat and dog. Her favorite moments are when the unexpected happens and she cheers loudest when the pitcher gets a hit.

*The international prize will be gifted through Bookdepository while the US Only pre-order will be gifted through amazon.com. So make sure you can receive the copy before entering the giveaway.

Pre-Order Gifts & Prizes

Everyone who pre-orders the book before June 7, 2016 and submits a valid proof of purchase will receive the Pre-Order Gift as a THANK YOU from me! (You will also receive my appreciation and affection!!!) This gift is for ALL PRE-ORDERS–print and e-book–international included!

In addition to the Pre-Order Gift, everyone who pre-orders will be entered to win a PRIZE!!! There will be THREE levels of prizes:

FIVE Second-Place Prizes,

FIVE First-Place Prizes, and

ONE GRAND PRIZE!!!

The prizes include tote bags, posters, and even an American Express gift card worth at least $60 US dollars! (The value of the gift card has been increasing as the number of pre-orders increases.)